Springtime for the full nuclear fuel cycle

[Marlin]

Springtime for the full nuclear fuel cycle

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-11-10/article-8535/springtime-for-the-full-nuclear-fuel-cycle/

[Core Content]

The Trump administration's Department of Energy has done good. Its Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (NLIC) initiative has planted some important seeds that are starting to sprout. Five states—Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah—have found the courage to pull out a map, put a finger on a spot, and say, "This place is worth...

Of course, these states aren't looking only at the economic benefits of disposal. They see the larger prize: becoming a hub for recycling, front-end fuel cycle facilities, and advanced reactor development and services.

Some in the nuclear community worry that the near-term economic impact of recycling has been oversold to these states, a byproduct of the irrational exuberance of a few. But I suspect that if you polled ANS's nearly 13,000 members, most would say we'll be recycling at least some of our nuclear fuel within a few decades. Across the nuclear community, there's a growing sense that recycling is not an option anymore—it's an eventuality. The real question is how to get there. What is the path?

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-11-10/article-8535/springtime-for-the-full-nuclear-fuel-cycle/